Pelican Press

Super Bowl 2025: Can Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs bounce back? Super Bowl 2025: Can Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs bounce back? Philadelphia’s defence was brilliant, especially up front as they sacked Mahomes six times, just one off the Super Bowl record, and had him under pressure from the first snap. It was a similar story in Mahomes’ other Super Bowl loss, also a blowout against Tampa Bay, and maybe some demons from that game contributed as he had arguably the worst game of his career. Mahomes passed for a career-worst 33 yards in the first half as he failed to get the Chiefs into Philadelphia’s half – and his total quarterback rating (QBR) of 11.4 was his second-worst in 133 career games. Yes, he was under constant pressure, but his decision-making was off. He was too quick to take off and run, perhaps understandably given how his offensive line was being manhandled. But his head was down, he missed some crucial throws – a possible Xavier Worthy touchdown and first-down conversion to Travis Kelce just two of them. Cutting a rabbit in the *********** figure was strange for a three-time champion and one of the best ever at the position. “I just didn’t play to my standard and I have to be better next time,” admitted Mahomes. How he responds now could define his legacy. Source link #Super #Bowl #Patrick #Mahomes #Kansas #City #Chiefs #bounce Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A Hellbomb Trebuchet? Helldivers 2 Players Found a Way to Launch the Portable Hellbomb A Hellbomb Trebuchet? Helldivers 2 Players Found a Way to Launch the Portable Hellbomb Elit3Nick1d 14h ago It’s sheer potency took the thunder from what should have been the jewel of this warbond, which was the Portable Hellbomb. I get what they were going for here, but you can’t provide anti-tank capabilities in a secondary weapon, especially when its low ammo can be mitigated with a supply pack. Why take an actual anti-tank weapon when you could either just take a crowd-clearing weapon or even just a fourth non-equipment strategem instead? For the good of the sandbox, this needs to lose both anti-building and anti-tank capabilities (or at least reduced for the latter). I’m fine if it gets a larger AoE so solidify its role as a mob-clearer, but it shouldn’t be able to insta-kill a titan or factory strider in one shot. Source link #Hellbomb #Trebuchet #Helldivers #Players #Launch #Portable #Hellbomb Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mid West candidates say Nationals’ vow to restore Carnarvon maternity service within 100 days is unrealistic Mid West candidates say Nationals’ vow to restore Carnarvon maternity service within 100 days is unrealistic Candidates for the Mid West have had their say on the Nationals’ pledge to restore Carnarvon’s maternity service within 100 days, with both the Labor and Liberal parties believing the time line is “unrealistic”. Last week, Nationals leader Shane Love announced his party, if elected to government, would restore the Gascoyne town’s maternity service within the party’s first 100 days in office. He also warned the WA Country Health Service board must resign if the deadline was not met. The service was shut down in 2022, with Mr Love saying Labor “abandoned” the Gascoyne community. However, Labor candidate Jenna Denton said the 100-day deadline was not an appropriate time line for restoring the service. “As a woman who has birthed two babies, both high-risk, I understand the need to ensure a regional service is well equipped and set up appropriately to meet the needs of each community and the complexities that can come with bringing a tiny human into the world,” she said. “One-hundred days to re-establish a clinical service is not realistic, fair, or responsible governing.“ Camera IconLabor’s candidate for the Mid West seat Jenna Denton. Credit: Supplied Ms Denton said having worked at St John of God Hospital in Geraldton, she understood the needs of women giving birth in the regions. “I am acutely aware of the perinatal and midwifery needs of women and families in the Mid West, and how important it is for regional women to birth in their home region where at all possible,” she said. “I will fight for communities that currently don’t have access to birthing services. “However, there is an obvious need to first ensure adequate staffing, strong clinical governance, risk mitigation for health professionals in regional service delivery, emergency management, and to ensure the model of care is women and baby-centred. “Without this, families won’t feel safe, nor will it allow for a positive birth experience.” Last week, the State Government confirmed the cancellation of Carnarvon’s maternity service was not permanent, saying it was looking at ways to restore it. Meanwhile, North West Central MLA and Liberal candidate for Mid West Merome Beard said Labor had let down health services, but rushing the process could cause issues down the line. Camera IconNorth West Central MLA and Mid West candidate Merome Beard. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West *********** “There’s absolutely no doubt restoring the basic requirement of maternity services in Carnarvon is essential and needs to be a top priority — a need I’ve been advocating for since its closure nearly three years ago,” she said. “Maternity care requires a team of highly skilled professionals, including midwives and obstetricians, and these positions must be filled with individuals who are both committed to the profession and invested in the local community. “Rushing this process to meet an arbitrary deadline risks delivering a service that is not properly resourced, leading to further disruptions and poor outcomes for expectant mothers and their babies.” The Liberal Party said it was committed to restoring maternity services in Carnarvon through its $400 million Regional Health Development Initiative, as well as providing Government Regional Officer Housing for health professionals moving to the area. Source link #Mid #West #candidates #Nationals #vow #restore #Carnarvon #maternity #service #days #unrealistic Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EU will put over $200 billion toward AI development EU will put over $200 billion toward AI development This week is the AI Action Summit in Paris and the European Union is using it as an opportunity to deep dive into the growing sector. The bloc has announced it’s putting €200 billion ($206 billion) toward AI development. This number includes €20 billion ($20.6 billion) for AI gigafactories that process and train large models. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the plan, called InvestAI, at the AI Action Summit on Tuesday. She pushed the position that Europe isn’t late to the competition against China and the US. “The frontier is constantly moving, leadership is still up for grabs, and behind the frontier is the whole world of AI adoption,” von der Leyen stated. “Bringing AI to industry-specific applications and harnessing its power for productivity and for people, and this is where Europe can truly lead the race.” The news follows France announcement that private investments are funneling €109 billion ($112.5 billion) into its AI ecosystem. The country is also committing a gigawatt of nuclear power for an AI computing project led by FluidStack. It will use Nvidia-made chips. January was a big month for AI growth in the US and China. In the US, OpenAI and SoftBank announced a $500 billion partnership called Stargate to create AI infrastructure. Then ******** AI assistant DeepSeek exploded onto the global stage, with the company claiming it offers the same quality as its competitors — but cost a lot less to built. Source link #put #billion #development Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GTA 6 Publisher is ‘Not Worried’ About the Game Influencing Violence in the Real World GTA 6 Publisher is ‘Not Worried’ About the Game Influencing Violence in the Real World GTA 6’s parent company has stated they are “not worried” about the game influencing violent behaviour in the real world. Violence in video games has been a controversial subject in the industry for years, with the GTA series often being the poster boy for such campaigns. The popular series will receive a brand new instalment this fall, with Rockstar finally releasing GTA 6 this year. Many wonder if new allegations related to violence will pop up again, but Take-Two’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, doesn’t seem to be worried about it. During an interview with CNBC (via Video Gamer), Zelnick was asked whether he had concerns about GTA 6’s violence impacting the real world. He responded that he was “not worried.” Zelnick added, “To be clear: entertainment doesn’t create behaviour; entertainment reflects behaviour.” The CEO explained that entertainment allows people to express and engage with feelings as it tells stories. “The notion [that] entertainment creates behaviour has been tested and disproved over and over again.” Therefore, he isn’t concerned about GTA 6 influencing people to commit violence against others in the real world. Zelnick also discussed TV shows and movies with “very realistic-looking” violence, which doesn’t influence wrong behaviour; hence, he’s “not worried about photorealistic video games” inciting such behaviour. In other news, Take-Two’s CEO recently spoke about GTA 6 helping sell more consoles. Also, the parent company’s stocks rose to an all-time high when they reconfirmed the fall 2025 release window. Do you think GTA 6 will influence violent behaviour in the real world? Let us know in the comments or on our new community forum! For more information from Insider Gaming, read about a hacker finding a major security flaw in Marvel Rivals. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #GTA #Publisher #Worried #Game #Influencing #Violencein #Real #World Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PassMark sees the first yearly drop in average CPU performance in its 20 years of benchmark results PassMark sees the first yearly drop in average CPU performance in its 20 years of benchmark results Benchmarking software developer PassMark publishes the average results of all Windows PC tests across the globe every two weeks in a line graph. In line with what many enthusiasts might expect, the PassMark graph has always shown a consistent increase in processor performance year-on-year. However, for the first time since the company started keeping track in 2004, the average CPU mark score for desktop and laptop processors has dropped, with laptops dropping 3.4% year-over-year. We see the biggest drop in laptop CPU performance results. PassMark recorded an average result of 14,632 across 101,316 samples last year. But, in 2025, the average score sat at an average of 14,130 points between 25,541 samples, decreasing the average score by 3.4%. The average desktop PC result in 2024 netted 26,436 points for 186,053 samples. But for 2025, the average score currently sits at 26,311 points for over 47,810 samples — a 0.5% drop from last year. While that drop is small, we should only see a continued progression of faster performance. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) We’ve also seen results for the top-performing CPUs, and it seems that we’ve basically reached a performance plateau, will little to no uplift in PassMark scores for the past three years for desktop chips and laptop CPUs. This happened after we received a massive uplift of 58.6% in the Top Desktop CPU benchmark scores in 2023, with the introduction of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7995WX. The arrival of the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D laptop CPU in the same year also delivered a 69.9% jump in average performance for laptops. However, a new desktop chip that will dethrone the Threadripper Pro 7995WX is yet to arrive, while Intel’s new Core Ultra 275HX has provided a measly 6.8% increase in performance points on mobile. What’s quite baffling, though, is that AMD, Intel, and even Qualcomm have just released new desktop and laptop CPUs that should have increased performance levels, according to their marketing. While it’s true that the AMD Ryzen 9000 series (except for the new X3D chips) and Intel Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200S processors were a disappointment for many enthusiasts, these should have at least delivered a modest increase in performance, particularly in productivity applications. Passmark itself mused on X (formerly Twitter) that it could be that people are switching to more affordable machines that deliver lower power and performance. Or maybe Windows 11 is depressing performance scores versus Windows 10, especially as people transition to it with the upcoming demise of the latter. We’ve certainly seen plenty of examples of reduced performance in gaming with some of the newer versions of Windows 11, particularly as Intel and AMD struggled to upstream needed updates into the OS. At the moment, we don’t know the cause of this drop, but it could also be that we’re just in the first quarter of 2025. As more people get newer gear and run tests for the remainder of the year, this number could climb and reflect the performance of newer chips that arrived recently, or will arrive in the coming months. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. PassMark also muses that bloatware could contribute to the sudden decline in performance, but that seems like a longshot. In the end, the decline could simply be due to an odd interaction between the benchmark itself and the latest versions of Windows 11. Source link #PassMark #sees #yearly #drop #average #CPU #performance #years #benchmark #results Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Church of England rejects fully independent safeguarding Church of England rejects fully independent safeguarding The Church of England’s governing body has rejected a fully independent safeguarding model for dealing with abuse cases. Synod members instead adopted an alternative model, which was described as a “way forward in the short term” ahead of a move to full independence in the future. But Andrew Graystone, a victim and survivors’ advocate, said the decision was a “punch in the gut for victims and survivors of church abuse” and accused church leaders of “shocking arrogance”. The vote comes in the wake of the resignation of the former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over his handling of a prolific abuser and questions about Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell’s handling of another case. The Church has faced criticism for its handling of child abuse cases spanning decades. Prof Alexis Jay – who led a national inquiry into child abuse – and barrister Sarah Wilkinson carried out reviews of safeguarding measures and the synod was expected to vote on the models proposed by both experts. However, following an amendment, the Prof Jay-backed model – which proposed a safeguarding body entirely independent of the Church – was not voted on at all, and the Wilkinson proposal was adopted. That will see the creation of an independent central safeguarding team for the Church – but with diocesan and cathedral safeguarding officers continuing in the same roles. The alternative model would have also made the Church’s safeguarding officers around the country part of that independent body, independent of church organisations. Earlier, Prof Jay had said the Church risked falling further into crisis if it failed to adopt the more independent system for keeping people safe. Commenting on the model adopted by the synod after the vote, Mr Graystone said: “If you are abused by a vicar, you will still be expected to report it to a bishop. “Safeguarding staff will still be located in church offices, employed by the very same bishop. “The Church of England had an opportunity to start to rebuild trust, by admitting that it needed expertise from outside. But instead they have chosen to keep it in the family.” Source link #Church #England #rejects #fully #independent #safeguarding Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Amid Budget Price Leak, Newly Confirmed Switch 2 Feature Is Even More Good News For One of Nintendo’s Most Coveted Franchises Amid Budget Price Leak, Newly Confirmed Switch 2 Feature Is Even More Good News For One of Nintendo’s Most Coveted Franchises The excitement surrounding the Switch 2’s upcoming release is at an all-time high, with fans eagerly awaiting new details to emerge on April 2nd. At the same time, leaks, rumors, and even unconfirmed reports are spreading throughout the gaming industry, making the wait feel even longer. Fans are hoping to see the mouse functionality. | Image Credit: Nintendo Amidst the rumors about the device’s price, a patent has been revealed that shows an exciting new Switch 2’s Joy-**** functionality: the ability to use them as a mouse. This discovery has created a lot of buzz, especially among those who are hoping for a potential Super Mario Maker 3. New hope for Mario Maker fans with Switch 2 Players hoping to see a 3rd addition to the series. | Image Credit: Nintendo Super Mario Maker is one of the most beloved franchises in Nintendo’s extensive library. The game is widely adored by players for its creative level-building mechanics and the ability to design and share custom Mario stages. However, the franchise faced a hurdle with the release of its sequel on the Switch. While Super Mario Maker 2 was still popular, it lacked certain features that some fans had hoped for, like the precision offered by a stylus. The Switch’s lack of a stylus, like Wii U’s (though Switch supports certain styluses, those are not consistent), created a barrier for many players, making it more difficult to craft intricate levels. However, with the new patent showing mouse functionality for the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons, there’s a renewed sense of excitement among fans. They are eagerly hoping that this could signal the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to introduce Super Mario Maker 3 which takes full advantage of the mouse functionality. Just imagine being able to drag and drop items, connect various parts of the map, and fine-tune your levels with the ease and precision of a mouse. This could make the creation process much smoother and more intuitive. Comment byu/Icy-ConcentrationC from discussion inNintendoSwitch2 Comment byu/Icy-ConcentrationC from discussion inNintendoSwitch2 Comment byu/Icy-ConcentrationC from discussion inNintendoSwitch2 Comment byu/Icy-ConcentrationC from discussion inNintendoSwitch2 Players are already imagining the possibilities for level design, as the mouse-like functionality would dramatically expand what’s possible within the game. Just seeing the potential of this feature is adding to the excitement surrounding the Switch 2. Is mouse functionality on the horizon? The wait for the April 2nd feels so long. | Image Credit: Nintendo While the mouse functionality shown in the patent is exciting, it’s important to remember that patents don’t always translate into final products. Although many patents never make it past the drawing board, the excitement surrounding this one is justified. The fact that there have been hints about the feature in the teaser gives fans hope that it could become a reality. If we think about it, mouse functionality makes so much sense as the library of the device grows, along with various third-party games and general productivity applications. On top of the potential mouse functionality, another recent leak has only added to the growing anticipation. A report suggests that the Switch 2 could be priced at $399, which would make it an affordable next-gen console with groundbreaking features. With the potential of the new hardware, the promise of more accessibility, fluid gameplay, and a budget-friendly price, the future of Nintendo gaming is looking brighter and more enticing than ever. In the end, as we await more information in April, one thing is certain: the Switch 2 is shaping up to be a game-changer for both Super Mario Maker fans and gamers worldwide. Source link #Budget #Price #Leak #Newly #Confirmed #Switch #Feature #Good #News #Nintendos #Coveted #Franchises Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Israeli PM threatens ******, Trump meets Jordan’s king Israeli PM threatens ******, Trump meets Jordan’s king Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will end if ****** does not return more hostages held in the enclave by noon on Saturday. “The military will return to intense fighting until ****** is finally defeated,” he said in a video statement. The ceasefire has been called into question amid ****** claims Israel violated key provisions, prompting it to call off the release of three more hostages on Saturday. US President Donald Trump has emboldened Israel to call for the release of remaining hostages rather than the three scheduled to be freed in the next exchange. אם חמאס לא יחזיר את חטופינו עד שבת בצהריים – הפסקת האש תיפסק, וצה”ל יחזור ללחימה עצימה עד להכרעה סופית של החמאס pic.twitter.com/4Cx30kHGvN— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 11, 2025 The comments came as Trump was set to meet Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday at the White House. ****** on Monday said it would stop releasing Israeli hostages from Gaza until further notice, saying Israel was violating the agreement to end strikes that have pummelled the Gaza Strip. Trump later proposed cancelling the ceasefire if ****** does not release all remaining hostages it took on October 7, 2023, by the weekend. Trump has said the United States should take over the Gaza Strip and move out its more than two million ************ residents so that the enclave can be turned into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. King Abdullah has said he rejects any moves to annex land and displace Palestinians. Trump greeted King Abdullah and they stood together briefly before entering the White House for their meeting. Sandwiched between Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel and the occupied West Bank, Jordan is already home to more than two million ************ refugees in its population of 11 million, their status and number long providing a source of anxiety for the country’s leadership. with AP Source link #Israeli #threatens #****** #Trump #meets #Jordans #king Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Raiden MGS4 and Naked Snake statues by Gecco on display at Wonder Festival 2025 Raiden MGS4 and Naked Snake statues by Gecco on display at Wonder Festival 2025 New Metal Gear statues by Gecco on display at WF2025 Winter. Source link #Raiden #MGS4 #Naked #Snake #statues #Gecco #display #Festival Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AI chip startup Positron raises $23.5 million seed round to take on Nvidia AI chip startup Positron raises $23.5 million seed round to take on Nvidia By Anna Tong Positron, a startup chip maker that aims to compete with Nvidia, said Tuesday it raised $23.5 million to scale production of its U.S.-made artificial intelligence chips. Valor Equity Partners, known for backing Elon Musk’s companies, Atreides Management, Flume Ventures and Resilience Reserve were among the investors who participated in the round. Reno-based Positron says its chips, which are manufactured in Arizona, use less than a third of the power of Nvidia’s top-of-the-line H100 graphical processing units, while maintaining the same performance. Positron’s chips are intended for inference, the ******* when an AI model is being used, rather than for training AI models. At the moment, demand is higher for training chips, but analysts have predicted the need for inference chips could surpass them as more AI applications are deployed. Generative AI model makers such as OpenAI, Google and Meta have said they will invest heavily in AI infrastructure. Meta has said it will spend up to $65 billion this year, while Microsoft has said it will spend $80 billion. OpenAI announced a $500 billion Stargate infrastructure program last month. Currently, Nvidia’s chips have a market share of roughly 80%, but rising costs and concern about depending on a single supplier have led customers such as Microsoft, Meta and OpenAI to explore in-house or external alternatives. (Reporting by Anna Tong in San Francisco; Editing by Kate Mayberry) Source link #chip #startup #Positron #raises #million #seed #Nvidia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

South of Midnight preview: Stopped motion South of Midnight preview: Stopped motion As I sat down to play the 90-minute South of Midnight preview, I had one major question: Why does the framerate look like that? The trailers display a purposefully choppy animation style that’s meant to be reminiscent of stop-motion, but it wasn’t clear how this effect would be applied in the game’s cutscenes, combat and traversal moments. After playing the preview, I’m still unsure. I should state my bias at the top: I am super primed to enjoy South of Midnight. I’ve been a fan of Compulsion Games since the studio debuted Contrast in 2013, and I eagerly followed the development of its follow-up, We Happy Few, through 2018. Compulsion’s games are stylish, with an emphasis on polished 3D graphics and lanky characters in fabulous outfits. Microsoft acquired Compulsion in 2018 and the studio has been working on South of Midnight ever since. My intrigue has only grown in the past year, following a drip-feed of trailers with luscious Southern Gothic settings, a bluesy soundtrack and the game’s magic-weilding protagonist, a young ****** woman named Hazel. To view this content, you’ll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the “Content and social-media partners” setting to do so. First, let’s talk about what the game does well. The preview begins at chapter three, after Hazel has discovered the basics of her magical abilities but has not mastered the power flowing through her veins. Hazel is a Weaver, capable of manipulating the invisible strands that hold reality together, and she’s looking for her mother, Lacey, after a hurricane swept through their hometown of Prospero in the American Deep South. If Hazel is the main character in South of Midnight, the environment is her co-star: The swamps of Prospero are lit with a rich, golden hue and they’re buzzing with surreal life. Towering cypresses, lush ferns and thorny vines the size of tree trunks weave their way through the forest and its cloudy pools. The houses, half-demolished shacks connected over the bayou by crumbling wooden platforms, are filled with rotting trinkets and faded photos, and many have eviction notices stuck to the front doors. Car-sized peaches dot the landscape, plump pinkish skin sticking out of the swampwater and buried at the bases of trees. This land is drowning in magic. Compulsion Games Though Hazel is on a linear journey to find her mom, there are plenty of opportunities for light exploring around Prospero. Chapter three features a handful of hidden paths that conclude with glowing bits of Floof, the game’s currency, for Hazel to collect. These alternative routes are positioned in plain sight, but they’re integrated into the landscape off the beaten path, so they’re easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. Hazel explores by running, jumping, double jumping, gliding and wall running, and her movements through the world feel utterly natural. Her abilities build on one another nicely and they’re perfectly responsive, creating a mini parkour flow that I didn’t expect in this game. At times Hazel uses magic to turn ghostly objects into tangible platforms, and her double-jump and glide combo is particularly fun. Hazel always looks cool, regardless of the framerate. She moves her long, thin limbs with the haphazard confidence befitting a teenage track star, and her clothes — a waffle-stitched sweatshirt tied around her waist, denim jeans, a tank top with a sports bra, leather arm bands and a holster across her chest — are heavily textured, lending each piece a tangible feel. Hazel’s dialogue is delivered with a hefty amount of adolescent snark, too, and I laughed out loud when she met the giant talking catfish and immediately was like, “Nope,” and turned to walk away. Actors Nona Parker Johnson, who performs Hazel’s motion-capture and stunts, and Adriyan Rae, Hazel’s voice, have done some fabulous work here. Compulsion Games In the preview, Hazel encounters an eccentric local, a few magical creatures and at least one powerful ritual, and she eventually finds herself chasing the ghosts of two brothers, one of whom died after being stuffed inside the trunk of a tree. As she hunts their memories and traps their pain in a blue bottle, banjo music trickles into the scene until it becomes a full-on folk song recounting the brothers’ tragic story. It’s a unique and effective mechanic. The world around Hazel is composed of dark and surreal beauty, and after seeing (and hearing) this sliver of gameplay, I’m eager to uncover all of Prospero’s hidden stories. Combat in the South of Midnight preview takes place in contained stages, with spiky vines blocking off the exits as soon as the fight begins and the haints — ghosts, in Hazel’s vernacular — pop up. The enemies in this chapter come in three basic forms: tall floaty haint, stationary haint nest and floaty blob haint. The enemies are made of gooey ****** tendons and red magic, and they attack in specific ways depending on their type. The tall one moves quickly and rushes forward, the nest spews out exploding bugs and the floaty blobs shoot parryable projectiles. Hazel has a basic attack, dodge, healing move and four magical abilities: weave, strand push, strand pull and a final locked move. Weave freezes an enemy in place, while strand pull and push can be used to throw objects back in the haints’ faces. Each combat stage starts out with a healing totem that Hazel can tap into once, as long as she can reach it and (on Xbox Series X) press Y. She also receives health regen by pressing Y near a pile of freshly killed haint meat, unraveling their essence for a little boost. These piles are only available for a few seconds after each kill, so there’s some light strategizing involved in staying alive mid-battle. Compulsion Games The fights flow just fine, and a lock-on system allows Hazel to swap her attention among the haints on the fly. Parrying projectiles is the toughest ability to master in the preview, but with a little more time to practice, I think it’ll become second nature. South of Midnight is not an open-world RPG or anything, but Hazel has a small skill tree with three upgrades for each of her magical abilities and nine slots to unlock moves like ground slam. A second screen contains Hazel’s collection of magical objects (five slots), patterns (six slots), readables (104 slots) and storybooks (14 slots). By the end of the demo, I’d collected four magical objects and one readable. Just looking at the menus, it seems like South of Midnight is a contained, sub-20-hour experience. Now, let’s talk about the game’s animations. South of Midnight begins with a gorgeous, handcrafted stop-motion intro movie that brings Hazel and her storybook adventure to life, but after that, the game’s stop-motion conceit only half-works. Hazel’s movements and the world at large are supposed to render at 60 fps, while her facial expressions in cutscenes render at something closer to 15 fps, mimicking the “animated in twos” style of Into the Spider-Verse. This appears to be true for anything in the game with a face, and it’s particularly apparent with the catfish character, which is basically all mouth. When it all comes together as Compulsion intended, the effect looks and feels very cool. Unfortunately, this is a rare occurrence. In practice, the stop-motion effect is inconsistent during third-person exploration moments and close-up cutscenes, and it tends to feel less artistic, and more like the game simply has an erratic framerate. It’s possible to turn off stop-motion effects and I tried this, but honestly, I couldn’t spot the difference. Even with stop-motion turned off, Hazel is rendered at an unpredictable rate that often dips well below 60 fps. The framerate issue appears across characters and vignettes, and it’s especially shitty during brightly lit memory scenes, where NPCs appear in front of Hazel as glowing white ghosts, filled with particles and visually stuttering all over the place. To view this content, you’ll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the “Content and social-media partners” setting to do so. South of Midnight targets 4K/60 on Xbox Series X, but my preview at times felt like it struggled to maintain 30 fps. What’s more troubling, though, is the screen tearing that appears throughout the preview, spawning from the game’s use of a-sync. The tearing often appears close to the center of the screen, suggesting the game is far away from its performance target. Of course, Compulsion is still working to optimize South of Midnight and there’s some time to address these problems before the game comes out on April 8 — but they’re cutting it close. I think the stop-motion effect is a grand idea and it would work well if Compulsion committed to the bit. If the framerate is supposed to be low, keep it low, rather than popping in and out of higher framerates, which makes everything feel like a mistake. Consistency is the key, and South of Midnight hasn’t nailed that yet. This is Compulsion’s first attempt at building a game with all of the resources and attention that Xbox provides, and the studio has crafted a beautiful, mysterious world with an ambitious mechanical conceit and a badass protagonist. The stop-motion effect is still hit-or-miss, but that doesn’t detract from the game’s other successes. I remain incredibly stoked on South of Midnight. South of Midnight is due to hit Xbox Series X/S, PC and Game Pass on April 8. Source link #South #Midnight #preview #Stopped #motion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Powell squashes the possibility that the Fed will develop its own digital currency Powell squashes the possibility that the Fed will develop its own digital currency U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies before a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on “The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress,” at Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 11, 2025. Craig Hudson | Reuters Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell asserted Tuesday that the central bank will not develop its own digital currency as long as he is in charge. Ending several years of speculation whether the Fed would join some of its global counterparts, including China, in developing a formal cryptocurrency like bitcoin or its many peers, Powell said during a Senate hearing that the project would not go forward. “Can I have your commitment that as long as you’re the chairman of the Federal Reserve system that we will never have a central bank digital currency?” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) asked Powell during the chair’s semiannual testimony on monetary policy and regulation. “Yes,” Powell responded. “Thank you for that, I think that’s extremely important,” Moreno said. “It makes me very happy to hear you say that.” Powell’s term as Fed chief ends in May 2026. The Fed has been examining the issue for at least four years, releasing an extensive study in 2022 that detailed the advantages and disadvantages without drawing a conclusion. Over the years, multiple officials have raised concerns, with most saying there was no obvious need for a CBDC and citing concerns over privacy and other issues. Powell also has stressed that creating a CBDC would have required a legislative act from Congress, something less likely with a Republican majority controlling both chambers in Washington, D.C. In the meantime, the central bank has launched its FedNow payments system that essentially addresses a number of issues that a Fed-backed cryptocurrency also would take on. Moreno asked Powell to continue work on FedNow to make 24-hour money transfers more widely available. Source link #Powell #squashes #possibility #Fed #develop #digital #currency Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EA Passed On Chances To Buy Guitar Hero, Call Of Duty, And Blizzard EA Passed On Chances To Buy Guitar Hero, Call Of Duty, And Blizzard Although Activision Blizzard is now owned by Microsoft’s gaming division, its rise to become one of the top video game publishers was inadvertently helped by EA’s decision to turn down opportunities that could have been transformative. During a recent podcast appearance, former EA Chief Creative Officer Bing Gordon noted that EA had a chance to buy Guitar Hero, Call of Duty, and even Blizzard itself before Activision closed deals for all three. “Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, and Blizzard, EA saw all those first and passed on all of them,” said Gordon while appearing on Grit alongside Bobby Kotick, the former CEO of Activision Blizzard. Gordon went on to praise Kotick for keeping many of the original Blizzard team members in place after the company came under Activision’s control. Gordon told Kotick that he has “double high respect” for him for realizing that those properties were valuable to own “and then you kept the people around. I’m pretty sure that… the creative leaders would not have stuck around in another company. So you did some kind of a miracle of keeping them productive for long periods of time and probably biting your tongue from time to time.” In the same interview, Kotick noted that Blizzard already had a deal in place for the Warcraft movie when Activision took over the company. And he went on to call it one of the worst movies he’s ever seen while recounting why it was a mistake for the company to focus on that over making games. Call of Duty is still going strong after EA passed on the deal, and it’s been the best-selling franchise for the last 25 years. However, Guitar Hero has been dormant since the release of Guitar Hero Live nearly a decade ago. Earlier this year, Hyperkin released a new Guitar Hero controller for Wii. But there don’t appear to be any plans to resurrect the franchise anytime soon. Source link #Passed #Chances #Buy #Guitar #Hero #Call #Duty #Blizzard Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

US Open mixed doubles uplift may be boost for Aussies US Open mixed doubles uplift may be boost for Aussies The US Open are overhauling their mixed doubles event, quintupling prize money, which is good news for *********** specialists – if they are able to enter. Source link #Open #mixed #doubles #uplift #boost #Aussies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Battlefield Game That Made DICE Realize Gaming Isn’t about New Consoles but Better Gameplay The Battlefield Game That Made DICE Realize Gaming Isn’t about New Consoles but Better Gameplay DICE was always known for pushing the boundaries of high-fidelity graphics and cutting-edge technology. But all of that changed when they started working on Battlefield 4. Not only did they create an entirely new engine for the game, but they also had a realization that would shift their entire approach. BF4 is considered the best title in the franchise. | Image Credit: DICE The big realization? It wasn’t about using the newest consoles or cranking up the polygon count, it was about something far more important: the player experience. This revelation transformed the development and turned the game’s focus on creating memorable gameplay moments rather than just tech. DICE shifted focus on technology to experience in Battlefield 4 As development on Battlefield 4 kicked off, DICE had to make a crucial decision. The studio decided to upgrade its engine to Frostbite 3 and tailored it to deliver an even more refined experience for Battlefield 4. During an interview with Eurogamer, Patrick Bach, the executive producer, shared that the goal behind the game was not just to make the visuals sharper or push the capabilities of the hardware. It was about crafting a more immersive and dynamic environment for players. The ultimate goal was to create a game that was not just focused on technical achievements like graphical fidelity or how many polygons were being rendered, but also on creating an immersion, emotional connection with players through the gameplay experience. This shift in mindset went beyond just technology. The developers also rethought Battlefield’s core gameplay. Instead of merely making ******* maps and adding more players, the team decided to evolve the experience by incorporating elements from multiplayer into the single-player campaign. Next-gen needs to be more than just more polygons. To us, it’s like, how do we evolve the gameplay? How do we evolve the narrative? […] So, moving elements from multiplayer into single-player is one way of evolving it. This integration of choices, freedom, and intense interactions brought a new level of engagement that had been missing in previous titles. While the game was rough around the edges when it was released, the strong gameplay and innovative design kept players hooked. Over time, Battlefield 4 became one of the best titles in the series, showing that the gameplay and overall experience were strong enough to keep players engaged and invested in the game. Players looking forward to future titles Fans are hoping the series makes a comeback with its future title. | Image Credit: DICE Ironically, while Battlefield 4 succeeded in prioritizing gameplay and player experience, recent titles in the franchise have struggled to capture that same focus. The result? Despite being visually impressive, new titles failed to offer the same level of engagement and excitement that BF4 delivered. Making matters worse are the bugs, lackluster gameplay, and poor execution of core mechanics which have left players frustrated and mostly disconnected from the experience. Ultimately, BF4 wasn’t just about pushing the boundaries of visuals or boasting a new engine. It was about answering the fundamental question: What makes a game truly great? For DICE, the answer was clear, it’s about the experience. So, hopefully, future titles in the series will remember this lesson and start focusing not just on high fidelity but on gameplay that immerses players and keeps them coming back. In the end, it’s crucial that the series doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the past, where buggy states and poor gameplay overshadow the core experience. Only then will Battlefield remain the gaming titan it once was. Source link #Battlefield #Game #DICE #Realize #Gaming #Isnt #Consoles #Gameplay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Some Wrexham roads to raise speed limits to 30mph Some Wrexham roads to raise speed limits to 30mph More than 50 stretches of road in Wrexham are set to have their speed limits raised back to 30mph from 20mph. A review of the default lower speed limit of 20mph was announced by the Welsh government following significant public backlash. Wrexham council’s executive board considered the results of a consultation which was “overwhelmingly” in favour of ending the 20mph policy, with 93% of respondents in favour of returning road speeds to 30mph. Local authority staff will begin planning the next steps, including a campaign to ensure all residents know about the changes, and begin phasing the new limits in safely. The default speed limit was switched on mostly urban roads on 17 September 2023, and with some exemptions, most 30mph roads became 20mph. Introduced while Mark Drakeford was first minister, the scheme proved to be one of the Welsh government’s most controversial initiatives since devolution began, and almost half a million people signed a petition calling for it to be scrapped. The public backlash prompted a review of the policy, and councils are currently considering whether more roads can be switched back to 30mph. Following the conclusion of the Wrexham consultation last week, the campaign group “20’s Plenty For Us” wrote on X: “Is that really a difficult decision? Saving children from death and injury or appeasing a few motorists. “There are serious matters of life and death to be considered.” It comes as figures from the GoSafe partnership show 8,881 motorists were caught exceeding the 20mph enforcement threshold in the first month of 2025 with one north Wales motorist caught driving at 89mph in a 20mph zone. The highest offence speed recorded in south and mid Wales last month was 73mph. Wrexham council applied for additional Welsh government funding for the changes to be made and it received £368,000. The report put before councillors acknowledged there were risks of injury and fatality due to increasing speed limits. But assessments of the 52 selected routes were undertaken in accordance with Welsh government guidance. Councillors were told “safety has been paramount”. Guidance says a 30mph speed limit could be set if the road is “located outside city, town or village centres” and “away from places that attract frequent pedestrian and/or cyclist traffic”. It also specifies that the limit can be raised “on roads with low housing density and where, if there are pedestrians and cyclists, they are or could be segregated from motor traffic”. Other local authorities are still collecting public feedback or deciding which routes should be reviewed. Source link #Wrexham #roads #raise #speed #limits #30mph Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PREVIEW: South of Midnight (SECTOR) PREVIEW: South of Midnight (SECTOR) So what is South of Midnight? Probably one of the best examples of magical realism in modern video games. Source link #PREVIEW #South #Midnight #SECTOR Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super Micro’s earnings are on deck. Here are the two biggest things to watch. – MarketWatch Super Micro’s earnings are on deck. Here are the two biggest things to watch. – MarketWatch Super Micro’s earnings are on deck. Here are the two biggest things to watch. MarketWatchSuper Micro stock drops ahead of business update Yahoo FinanceSuper Micro Computer: Tomorrow Should Change Everything (NASDAQ:SMCI) Seeking AlphaSuper Micro Computer (SMCI) Stock Pulls Back with Earnings on Deck TipRanks Source link #Super #Micros #earnings #deck #biggest #watch #MarketWatch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Aether Gazer releases Full Moon Over the Abyssal Sea, introducing new side stories Aether Gazer releases Full Moon Over the Abyssal Sea, introducing new side stories Action role-playing game Aether Gazer has added new content as part of its latest event Full Moon Over the Abyssal Sea introduces new side stories and more Check out a new S-grade modifier and further additions to the store Well, it’s about that time again! Another top action RPG has fresh additions for you to enjoy. This time around it’s Aether Gazer with their new event Full Moon Over the Abyssal Sea, running until March 17th; and this comes with a whole host of new content, such as updated side stories and an S-grade Modifier, so let’s dig in! The headlining additions in this latest event are, of course, new content themed around a surprisingly warm and balmy summer environment. Explore new stages such as Oceanstar Park, its Main Stage and the Hotel Beach. Meanwhile, there are new limited-time events such as Midsommer Concert and Summer Spectacular. There are also new side stories like Sword Song Part 1 and the second part of Summertime Spree. Keep your eye out for a host of new outfits over in the store with Seaside Stroll for the newly-introduced Selene and Ocean’s Love Song for Izanami. Fun, fun, fun, in the sun How about that new S-grade Modifier too? Freshly added is Selene, debuting as Serene Moon – Selene. This holder of the fifth seat in the Astral Council of Omorfies and the President of the Choir Association may be aloof and cold, but as part of your lineup, she can ender a New Moon State while wielding basic attacks, before upgrading to an enhanced Full Moon State for even greater damage and abilities! Finally, we’ve also got the addition of new Skillchains and Sigils that you can use to enhance your characters further. Not to mention a new exclusive five-star functor to pair with Selene in the form of Herald-Endymion. Be sure to check in soon! Because this event only lasts until March 17th. Phew, what a doozy huh? Well, don’t go into this new event unprepared! You’ll want to check over our list of Aether Gazer redeem codes and see if you can get a quick boost before jumping in. Source link #Aether #Gazer #releases #Full #Moon #Abyssal #Sea #introducing #side #stories Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kate’s prison visit to meet mothers and babies Kate’s prison visit to meet mothers and babies Sean Coughlan Royal correspondent PA Media The Princess of Wales visited a mother-and-baby unit at the prison The Princess of Wales has visited a women’s prison in Cheshire, where she talked to inmates in a mother-and-baby unit. On a visit to HMP Styal, in Wilmslow, Catherine was shown a project designed to forge strong and healthy relationships between mothers and babies “even in the most challenging of environments”. The princess, in contrast to more glamorous royal engagements, stepped through the security gates in the rain, ahead of a tour of the prison, which holds about 400 inmates, some serving life sentences. While there, she met specialist staff supporting new mothers, and visited a nursery for babies who will have to spend their first formative months inside a jail. Reuters Catherine arrives in the rain at HMP Styal in Cheshire On her fourth official visit to a prison, the princess met women being supported by the Action for Children charity, which runs mother-and-baby units in three prisons in the north of England. The prison hopes that helping new mothers build a strong family connection with their newborns while in jail will reduce the risk of reoffending when inmates are released. The princess has a strong interest in early years education, as set out in her Shaping Us initiative, which emphasises the importance of the first five years of a child’s life. Tuesday’s visit to HMP Styal continues this campaign to raise awareness of those early years. It is the latest in a series of engagements this year, as the princess returns to work after the end of her ******* treatment. The unit at HMP Styal provides a dedicated area for new and expectant mothers, allowing them to live separately from other inmates. There is nursing care and support for both the mothers and their babies – who may spend their first 18 months in prison. As well as meeting current prisoners, Catherine met staff and former residents to hear about the long-term impact of such care. Figures from the Ministry of Justice estimate that there are about 200,000 children in England and Wales with a parent, either a mother or father, in prison. There has often been attention on what the princess is wearing, with interest in her fashion choices – and it’s been clarified by Kensington Palace aides that there is no change in the policy of sometimes publishing details of her clothing, and sometimes not commenting. Source link #Kates #prison #visit #meet #mothers #babies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia announces pre-orders for RTX 5000 series laptops on February 25 Nvidia announces pre-orders for RTX 5000 series laptops on February 25 Nvidia has announced RTX 50 series laptops will be up for pre-order from February 25 Team Green previously told us that these notebooks will ship in March This is for RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 Ti laptops, with those packing an RTX 5070 not set to debut until April Nvidia has confirmed that in just a couple of weeks, you’ll be able to pre-order laptops that come with its new RTX 5000 series GPUs. Team Green made the announcement on X (as highlighted by VideoCardz), with Nvidia noting that laptop makers will have pre-orders live for gaming notebooks packing the latest Blackwell graphics cards starting from February 25. GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop pre-orders start Feb 25 from OEMs. Stay tuned for more details! pic.twitter.com/P3frtYPmSyFebruary 11, 2025 Previously, Nvidia had revealed its Blackwell mobile GPUs at CES 2025, and we’d been told March was the launch month when notebooks with these cards in them would be shipping. So, you can get in early in the final week of February to secure your new gaming laptop, should you be keen. But I expect these portables still won’t ship until March, given Nvidia’s previous statement (although you never know). It’s worth remembering that RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 Ti laptops are the ones slated to ship in March, with RTX 5070 portables not coming until slightly later, in April. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: Prepare your wallet… How many laptops will be going on ***** in March, and what sort of pre-order line-up there will be later in February is anyone’s guess. The early pickings tend to start out fairly lean, and I don’t imagine this will be too different with Blackwell – you can see there are already plenty of digs on X as to how much stock there may, or more to the point, may not be. (Given the awful start that supply of the desktop RTX 5090 and 5080 GPUs got off to). Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. At any rate, expect some beefy new machines, particularly given that these RTX 5000 GPUs will be complemented by Arrow Lake mobile CPUs on the Intel front, and from AMD, there’ll be new Strix Point chips. In short, there should be some compelling fodder for our list of the best gaming laptops, although they’re going to be pricey. The laptops which have been listed early by retailers so far have certainly carried wallet-destroying price tags – tipping well over three grand – which is no real surprise given that they’re premium efforts combining cutting-edge processors and GPUs. Notebooks with RTX 5070 Ti GPUs, and particularly RTX 5070 graphics cards when they turn up a bit later, are obviously going to be a good deal more affordable (relatively speaking). You may also like… Source link #Nvidia #announces #preorders #RTX #series #laptops #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The best video games for couples The best video games for couples The notion that video games are a hobby people do alone has never been true. Even the early console generations encouraged people to play together. Today, some of the best PS5 games, best Xbox Series X games, and best Switch games are multiplayer titles. Playing games together as a couple is a fantastic way to strengthen your bond, develop your communication skills, teamwork, and just have fun sharing a hobby. A great game for couples doesn’t have to be a co-op game or a split-screen game, but those tend to be the best options. Whether your partner is a veteran gamer or has hardly touched a controller, we’ve picked out the best video games for couples of all skill levels. Source link #video #games #couples Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge orders HHS, CDC and FDA to restore deleted webpages with health information Judge orders HHS, CDC and FDA to restore deleted webpages with health information CDC staff ordered to stop working with WHO CDC staff told to stop communications with WHO after Trump’s executive order 02:31 Washington — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration to restore webpages and data that had been removed in compliance with President Trump’s executive order on gender ideology. U.S. District Judge John Bates agreed to grant a temporary restraining order sought by the group Doctors for America, which argued that its members used the websites when treating patients and conducting research. The nonprofit organization said that the removal of the webpages by the Department of Health and Human Services and its components violated federal law. Bates found that the challengers were likely to succeed in their claims that the Department Health and Human Services, CDC and FDA acted unlawfully when they stripped medical information from public-facing websites. “It bears emphasizing who ultimately bears the harm of defendants’ actions: everyday Americans, and most acutely, underprivileged Americans, seeking healthcare,” he wrote. Citing declarations from two doctors filed in the case, Bates said if they “cannot provide these individuals the care they need (and deserve) within the scheduled and often limited time frame, there is a chance that some individuals will not receive treatment, including for severe, life-threatening conditions. The public thus has a strong interest in avoiding these serious injuries to the public health.” His order directs the agencies to restore earlier versions of their websites by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. This is a developing story and will be updated. Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Source link #Judge #orders #HHS #CDC #FDA #restore #deleted #webpages #health #information Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super Micro’s earnings are on deck. Here are the two biggest things to watch. – MarketWatch Super Micro’s earnings are on deck. Here are the two biggest things to watch. – MarketWatch Super Micro’s earnings are on deck. Here are the two biggest things to watch. MarketWatchSuper Micro stock drops ahead of business update Yahoo FinanceSuper Micro Computer: Tomorrow Should Change Everything (NASDAQ:SMCI) Seeking AlphaSuper Micro’s roller coaster continues into earnings with 59% stock pop in past week CNBC Source link #Super #Micros #earnings #deck #biggest #watch #MarketWatch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]